Thursday, October 15, 2015

Are you stronger than the athletes competing in The Singapore Strongman Series 2015 Final competition ? ( Video )

I was invited to photograph the series of competitions in the Singapore Strongman 2015. Finally, the day has come for the final competition. If you have been following my blog on an earlier posting, where a visiting Pro Strongman from USA came to deliver a strongman workshop for the Singapore strongman athelete. I did the interview video and photo while Andrew Johnson does the interviewing. Catch the video in my Youtube channel or here is the link to my previously related strongman blog posting.

Before coming to Singapore Strongman Series competition, I did not know much about Strongman. I was actively shooting body-building competitions locally since 2013. The confusion started when I try to relate body-building athletes with Strongman athletes. I realised they are very different. One has a beautiful body while the other has a strong body. Lifting over 200kg weight is not something anyone can do. You need special training, diet etc.

Below is what our very own first Singapore Strongman, Ahmad Taufiq have written specially for my blog. Thanks to Taufiq for the insight into the Singapore Strongman arena.

Text by Singapore Strongman, Ahmad Taufiq

Background

The sport of strongman is still in the stage of infancy in Singapore, because it’s not a mainstream or Olympic sport. While there are other organisations like HTNS who runs their HTNS Strongman Challenge annually. I’ve never expected to even take the role as main organiser for this sport and being the person to grow it. I’ve always wanted to compete and it’s what I do as an athlete. However, I’ve been lucky to be able to win my first competition and come in top 3 in almost all the local and win regional competitions. I’ve also got the opportunity of competing in Strongman Champions League, ISF Australia Nationals, Strongman Gold Coast, Brisbane Health and Fitness Expo Strongman. So I would like to share my experiences with everyone and organise strongman competitions that are close to what I’ve competed in. So far I think the crew at Singapore Strongman Series have been doing a rather good job but I think as an team, we are still growing and doing our best to grow the sport.

Future

We at Singapore Strongman Series want to be different and in-line with the big strongman competitions such as Arnold’s Strongman Classic, American Strongman Corporation and Official Strongman. Some say we might be copying the big competitions but there is one reality, to be associated with the big competitions you got to be working hand in hand and complimenting them and it is a relationship. Some of the things we did differently is the weight classes, events which include dynamic, static, overheads, signature and max lifts.

The only way forward is to include lighter weight classes because as Asian we are not that big and especially the ladies category, if all goes well we would have 2 weight categories next year for the ladies. But we are still in the planning stage right now.

This is almost 10 years of strongman being alive and well in Singapore but seems like the sport is slowly kicking off and doing well. Is it where we want it to be? Not really but give it time... like every good things, it will take time. What I hope to see in the future for the sport of strongman is simple, at least one Singaporean at every weight category at Arnold’s World Strongman Amateurs Championships in Columbus, Ohio in a few years time! That is also my target to compete at that world stage where the world’s strongest come to meet and compete. I also do hope that organization come forward to throw in support in terms of cash money, funds, prizes and services in kind to help our athletes.

SSC sports

Sadly, Strongman is NOT an Olympic sport and Sports Singapore will only recognise the registered associations and Olympic sports only. While I disagree with this, I do understand where they are coming from and funds are hard to come by. For the sport to grow... it needs our athletes to grow stronger and compete in regional and international competitions, of course we will lose but you never know things may change but it needs to grow from the grassroots and community level because that's where all the athletes are.

If you need to contact Taufiq on matters relating to Singapore Strongman Series and sponsorships, you may reach him at :

"Stand firm, unrelenting and unwavering in your principles, beliefs and faith! It will guide you and be your compass through good times and times when things get really rough!"

Blogger Opinion

With this blog, I hope to spread the spirits of Strongman in Singapore. Probably in few years time, we will have world class Singapore Strongman athletes competing in every major strongman competitions around the world.

Here is a photo taken with one of our Singapore top Strongman athlete, Cheryl Foo.

Here is a video highlights taken during the Singapore Strongman Series 2015 Final ( some countries and handphones may not be able view it due to the copyrighted song used in this video.)

Here is the same video but uses a limited copyright song and can accessed from anywhere in the world using any devices, desktop computer, handphones etc.

Here are photos taken during competition.

( All photos are copyrighted, all rights reserved and taken by me.)

If you require an event photographer, wedding photographer or any other professional photography services, do email me ( Derrick See ) at see323@yahoo.com.sg . You can also message me at my FACEBOOK account. To view my photos, click My Flicker Photos